Wow, it seems like just the other day I was getting ready for the end of the earth as Y2K - the biggest non-event in history - loomed near. Now, it’s nearly 2008, almost a decade into the 21st century. Still no flying cars, I’m disappointed.

Anyways, I’m not big fan of resolutions since I usually fail quickly and then feel bad for a whole year. Like the year I resolved to be really good at something (anything really, I figured I’d be broad and increase my chances) and after a couple weeks of still being mediocre I got kind of depressed. Seriously though, I do have some things in mind as ‘goals’ and if you care, you can read them after the jump. (more…)

Winter in Liberty Lake has so far felt very classic. There’s snow on the ground, nearly everyone here skis, and Jess and I have enjoyed the cold nights sitting in front of the fireplace. We spent most of today relaxing and watching the snow fall – only venturing out once to get a cup of coffee and a few groceries.

Now that Jude is a year old we are starting to talk about traditions more. What will we do during the Christmas season? What role (if any) will Santa play? It’s interesting realizing that I’m at a similar place my parents were 28 years ago and I find myself picturing them having similar conversations.

I’m enjoying my last minutes of free-time before I go to bed - actually, last minutes for about the next week. I’m leading worship at 4 services over the next two days and then following that up with leading worship and teaching on Dec. 30. With my downtime tonight I’ve been reading about prominent Christian leaders in the US and the issues, discussions, and critiques that surround them. It’s interesting to me as I find myself at this point in my life, smack in the middle of evangelical culture. Whether I like it or not the label of evangelical would be the one that best describes me although probably not very accurately in a lot of ways, which I don’t have time to get into. I may try and muster up a thought provoking Christmas post in the next day or so but if I don’t and you are one who thinks that this time of year is about celebrating some myth, whether Santa or Jesus. I recommend that as part of your New Year’s resolution you read this book.

Peace.

P.S. I’m still wondering who my Russian reader is.

I can’t say the LA Times is known for it’s unbiased writing but this article on Youth With A Mission (where I used to be on staff) is very good. Check it out after the jump. (more…)

It’s been a bit since I’ve talked about some new music.
I present to you Future of Forestry, who you may have formerly known as Something Like Silas. FOF could best be classified as (indie) alternative, with a strong worshippy element and an electronic edge. The songs have great emotion and swelling guitars, with the song lyrics bouncing back and forth between relationship with God and ‘her’. Definitely worth a listen, especially if you’re in a reflective mood.

Click here for a pretty funny gallery of photos of kids not very stoked to sit on Santa’s lap.

I’ve got a new cell number, so shoot me an email if you desire to have it!

Woah, where has the last month gone!?

Life has been moving by at a quick pace recently and it already feels like I’ve been a resident of Eastern Washington for a long time. The culture here is vastly different from my old stomping grounds in Humboldt but I’m settling in nicely. The other day I ventured over to Spokane to check out a coffee shop that my friend Joel (who is from here originally) recommended. It’s called The Shop, and as the name hints it’s actually an old, two-bay auto shop. They converted it into a coffee shop but it still has the cold feel of it’s previous use. The refreshing thing for me was seeing people dressed more ‘Humboldt’ style as Liberty Lake is a bit more homogenized.

On Saturday Jessica and I saw our first ice skater on the frozen inlet. It was snowing heavily that day so we bundled up the little guy and decided to do our first ice walk together. The ice walk lasted mere minutes as we heard the unmistakable noise of ice cracking beneath our feet. About 24 hours later a southern storm blew in and we had a 30 degree temp. change that has now thawed the lake and melted the snow. Somewhere Al Gore is nodding his head.

I’ll end this blog with a question: Do I know anyone in Russia? I had several hits last week from Moscow and unless Putin is on my tale for something, I don’t think I know anyone over there. If I do, I’d be curious to know.